Kevin Kisner knew on Saturday that if he made some putts on Sunday, he’d have a pretty good shot at his first PGA Tour victory at the RSM Classic.
He didn’t waste any time at all at the start of the final round. All he did was birdie three of his first five holes then added two more at the eighth and ninth holes to stretch his lead from three shots to a whopping six. He sucked all hope out of those chasing him as he closed with a six-under par 64 to earn his first win.
“I knew one day it was gonna happen. I would make all the putts on Sunday and that’s what happened on the front nine,” said the 31-year-old former University of Georgia golfer. His 64 gave him a 22-under par total and the final round became a cakewalk over the last nine holes.
He finished six in front of runner-up Kevin Chappell (67) and seven clear of third-place finisher Graeme McDowell (67), who won last Monday in Mexico.
Kisner’s ball-striking was superb all week and on Sunday he hit 15 of 18 greens.
“I hope the floodgates are open,” said Kisner, who had four runner-up finishes in his 19 previous events.
He played flawless, bogey-free golf in chilly, windy conditions and left little guesswork as to who would walk off with the trophy and first-place money.
“What a special place to get my first win,” he said of the Seaside course at Sea Island. “All that hard work I’ve done has paid off.”
